Category: Home Office & Productivity

I’m absolutely thrilled to introduce Habitudes, our new personal records website. Starting with What My Family Should Know and Emergency Information, our mission is to offer the most useful personal record keeping documents on the web. Some of you may remember our original website, with earlier versions of our record keepers. Due to insurmountable technical problems we shut down the site a year ago, determined to create a more user-friendly system for keeping household records. This time we think we got it right. What Makes Habitudes Personal Record Keepers Unique Of course, you could type up personal records yourself, hire an assistant at $20-$60 per hour, buy or subscribe to record keeping software or download other forms. And you can always look for other record keepers. But why waste your time? Few, if any, offer all of these advantages: Download today Easy to use with popular word processors No tricky tech to learn Customizable Printable Shareable Comprehensive Compatible with your devices Attachment friendly No subscription needed What My Family Needs to Know Keeps Vital Info in One Place What My Family Needs to Know isn’t just for the executor of your estate. Running a household, whether it’s just you or […]

Dear HabiTalk Subscribers, While I’m busy creating a new website, Habitudes Record Keepers, HabiTalk will arrive in your mailbox in a new format. Called “Timely Tips & Tricks,” the blog will feature an assortment of useful and seasonal pointers. Once the new website is up and running, HabiTalk will revert to single subjects, most of which involve deep-dive research on my part. In the meantime, I hope you like the “Timely Tips” format. Let me know what you think in the comments section in the blog. Use Last Pass with Caution Yikes! Last Pass, a popular password storage provider, experienced a security breach in December 2022. If you are using it, you may want to switch to another provider. Before making a decision, see the  Last Pass Security Incident Update from the CEO. The Real ID Deadline is Extended to May 7, 2025 The date for needing to present a Real ID to board a domestic flight has been extended until May 7, 2025. For details, visit U.S. Homeland Security. Keep Bagged or Boxed Pre-washed Lettuce Fresh Longer Tuck a folded paper towel under the lettuce to keep it from becoming a slimy mess before its time. Find Out if it’s Time to […]

The constant invasion of my privacy by devices, apps and websites I use is driving me crazy. Wrinkle remedies, an incessant jingle begging me to donate my car to Kars4Kids, and a reminder that Alzheimer’s may be just around the corner are just a few unwanted “messages” I’m subjected to every day. It may be too late, but I’m going to follow the advice in “The Default Tech Settings You Should Turn Off Right Away,” by the New York Times. It’s attached below. Default Tech Privacy Settings To Change Now This article, written by Brian X. Chen of the New York Times, tells you how to turn off certain default tech privacy settings on Apple and Android phones, Google web services, Facebook,  Amazon’s websites and devices and Microsoft Windows. I’m going to change my settings right now. I’ve got my fingers crossed. We’ll see what happens. If you’ve got any more tech privacy tips, please share them in the Comments section below. The Default Tech Settings You Should Turn Off Right Away – The New York Times Find More Links You Can Really Use At HabiLinks Guide The internet is full of great resources, but page after page of search results […]

Thinking about using cloud backup or storage services, but confused about what “cloud” computing is? “Cloud computing” conjures up images like the one on the left. But it simply refers to accessing technology services offered by providers via the internet instead of buying and maintaining your own hardware or software.   Protect your data against these threats Years ago my daughter spilled an entire cup of coffee on her laptop. All of her photos were gone. I found a service to restore most of them to a CD and surprised her with it on Christmas morning. Her tears of joy were well worth the substantial amount of time and money spent. These days our computers are threatened by more than a cup of coffee. For example: Computer theft Computer failure Natural disasters like floods and earthquakes Ransomware, malware and hacker attacks Fire What to back up Take a look at the content on your computer. What data would you hate to lose? Everyone uses their devices differently, but here are the files I make sure to back up: Photos Music library Financial records and budget Emergency information Family history Travel info Household inventory Tax return copies Health records Contacts Business files Instructions for various […]

Deciding whether to refinance your mortgage is more than a matter of “rates are down let’s do it.” Unless you do the homework, refinancing can actually cost more in the long run. I refinanced in 2018. Rates have dropped, but in my case refinancing now doesn’t make sense. Here are some tips and links to help you decide if this is a good time to refinance your mortgage. And if it is, how to do it efficiently, saving both time and money. 1. Things to know before you start Mortgage terminology. Find definitions of key terms at consumerfinance.gov. Things to consider before refinancing. See the article at kiplinger.com. Warning: Do not click on ads offering “free” mortgage refinance calculators. See #2, below. How long you plan to stay in your home. Tip: If you plan to sell in one or two years, refinancing probably doesn’t make sense. Your current loan terms, monthly payment, balance and interest rate. Tip: Unless interest rates are at least half a percent less, refinancing probably isn’t worth the cost. Estimated value of your home. See zillow.com for a rough estimate based on similar homes nearby. Not totally reliable, but better than paying an appraiser at […]

  The government has changed the deadline for obtaining a Real ID  to May, 2025. Meanwhile, you may have questions. What is The Real ID? Do I really need it? By when? How and when can I get it? If so, you’ve come to the right place for answers. What’s the Real ID? The Real ID is a state-issued driver’s license or identification card that meets increased federal security standards. Real ID’s have a star on the upper right corner. Starting in May2025 travelers must provide a Real ID or other approved form of identification such as a valid passport to board domestic airlines, access certain Federal facilities or visit military installations. Who needs it? If you have a valid U.S. passport you don’t really need a Real ID, but I highly recommend having both. If you depend on your passport and accidentally let it expire or lose it, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise next time you try to board a commercial airline. Tip: If you plan to use your passport, make sure it’s valid for the duration of your trip. And check the expiration date way ahead in case it takes a long time to renew. Anyone 18 or older […]

In San Francisco we’re having a hard time believing that spring arrives soon! It seems like we haven’t seen the sun in months and rainfall records are broken almost every day. But the calendar doesn’t lie. And along with spring comes Daylight Saving Time. The only U.S. states that don’t change their clocks twice a year are Hawaii and Arizona. Here are a few timely tips (pun intended) to help get your spring off to a good start. Clocks “spring forward” one hour Sunday at 2 AM. Change the clocks before you go to bed Saturday night. Don’t forget your watches…including the ones you keep in the dresser drawer. Remember to change the clock on your car dashboard. While you’re at it, change the smoke alarm batteries. Replace the batteries in hard wired smoke alarms, too. The batteries in hard wired alarms provide backup in case of a power outage caused by things like fire or natural disasters. Check the year your smoke alarm was manufactured. It should be shown on the unit. If it’s close to ten years old, it’s time to replace it. Make sure you have the right kind of replacement batteries for your smoke alarms. And […]

Do you want to know how to stop robocalls and texts? Whether it’s a mobile phone or land line, you’ve probably answered a call that’s an unwanted sales pitch or recorded message. There are laws against unwanted calls and text messages, but marketers and scam artists find ways to get around the rules faster than they can be updated. What you should know about robocalls and texts Not all robocalls are illegal. For instance, market research or polling calls to home land lines are not restricted by FCC rules. Calls on behalf of non-profit groups and calls informing you of things like school closings or flight information are allowed without consent. With a few exceptions auto-dialed or prerecorded calls to wireless phones are prohibited without prior consent. Emergency calls regarding danger to life or safety are allowed. What you can do to limit or stop robocalls and texts Visit the FCC guide for the latest tips on how to stop unwanted robocalls and texts. Register with the U.S. government Do Not Call List. If the caller is a real person ask them to add you to their “do not call” list before hanging up. Don’t interact with robocalls. Hang up. […]